


Stay

by ChocobosTrinket (Neverforget94)



Series: The Twenty-Four [3]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Death, Etro mention, Familial Feelings, Gen, Injury, Loneliness, Reader-Insert, Titan adopts a younger brother by accident, refusal of said death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-13
Updated: 2019-03-13
Packaged: 2019-11-16 12:14:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,008
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18094109
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Neverforget94/pseuds/ChocobosTrinket
Summary: It was an accident when you fell. And an accident when you began to dream. You don’t understand just whats happening, but at least you have a new friend.





	Stay

**Author's Note:**

> Anyone remember that thing I did for Leviathan about her messenger? Well more inspiration hit me over the head and I decided to do something like that for Titan. I just like the idea of there being more messengers than there were in game. I also like Titan being an older brother to some of the other gods, and lonely under the Meteor. So when a child stumbles into his domain, he can’t help the big bro instincts from kicking in.

Despite what everyone had told you, falling hadn’t hurt. It had been surprising, yes. But the fall hadn’t hurt. It was when you landed that you first felt pain.

It had been an accident. You and your brothers were playing by the crater, peeking down and trying to see if you could see titan’s toes like the elders had told you. But so far, you hadn’t seen anything but the rocks far below. There was also a feeling of profound sorrow emanating from the chasm, and it felt like it was going to pull you in if you let it. In fact, you were so wrapped up in the feeling, you didn’t notice your brother’s shouts until it was too late.

“Look out!”

You managed to turn around, and only had time to gasp before something, you think it was one of the stone creatures, rammed into you and sent you falling through the air. For a moment, you felt weightless even as you fell, and there was nothing but the wind in your ears. You looked back up where you had been standing and could see your brother’s mouths calling your name. But soon they were out of sight, and it grew darker as you fell. Eventually, there was a cracking sensation through your whole body, and you couldn’t even scream from how much it hurt.

You were so far down that you couldn’t see your family any longer. You couldn’t hear them. Breathing was painful, and you wanted to cry. You spent hours praying for someone to find you. To help you. And maybe your prayers were answered, because you managed to drift off. The pain couldn’t follow you when you slept.

“Child of Eos, why are you here?” Asked a voice in your dream.

You looked around yourself in the dream and found yourself seated cross-legged in the middle of hundreds of canyons, all different colors of earth. The sun was beating down on you like a physical presence, but you felt cold. Standing a distance away was the man who’d spoken to you.

The raw strength you could feel from him washed over you like a wave, yet it wasn’t frightening. Rather, it made you feel safe. He had tattoos on his face and down his neck, it’s ink as dark as the earth in the Duscaen forests. The golden eyes he had reminded you of the hawks that your father raised for hunting but didn’t have the look of a predator. No, those watchful eyes only seemed to be searching for danger. His face was still, like he’d been carved from stone, with high cheekbones and a strong jaw. He was barefooted, and the simple white clothes he wore made him stand out among the many-colored stones. He had a single dark braid going down to his knees, and his skin called to mind the color of dust on the wind, or sunlight in the summer. He looked like one of your people in all honesty. (Or did the people look like him?)

You looked away from him then, once you’d made that connection to your people. You were sure he meant you no harm.

“I… don’t know where I am?”  You said, glancing around at the nearby canyons. “But I think this might be a dream?”

There were no familiar landmarks. And you’d considered yourself very good with landmarks. After all, you were of the blood line of navigators for your people, and one day would be charged with guiding them across the land as you moved place to place. In fact, if you didn’t know any better, you’d say that you were somewhere that you’d never seen before. Which there’s no way this place wouldn’t have been one of the first landmarks you’d learned.

The man hummed and turned away, looking to the distance, like he was searching for something. You were content to wait until he returned his attention to you. You busied yourself with remembering how this place looked. Maybe one day you’d get to come back after all, if it turned out you weren’t dreaming. It was a long time before he spoke again, and you noticed he seemed surprised you were still there.

“You… You’re very young are you not?” He said.

You nodded your head in agreement, “I’m 11!”

“Such a tiny number…” He muttered under his breath. “And you’re still dreaming?”

“I think so.” You looked around yourself, “I fell. And then I went to sleep.”

He looked deeply troubled, and once again looked into the distance. But when he saw no one there, he turned his attention immediately back to you. “You… fell.”

“Yeah, something knocked me into the disc!” You nodded. “I was with my brothers, and the elders said that titan held something there. We couldn’t remember what, but they said you could see his toes if you looked down deep enough.”

You smiled brightly up at the man, who looked torn between amusement and annoyance. Then, as if deciding something for himself, he started to walk closer to you. Upon reaching your side, he sat down as well, offered something of a smile back. It was unpracticed, like it hadn’t been used in a long time. But still the attempt made you like the man.

“So! What about you? Are you dreaming too?” You asked, glad to have company.

He seemed to consider what you said and mull it over for a time. Then he nodded, and said, “In a way.”

“Are we in the same dream?” You then asked him, focusing on his face.

Once again, it took him a while to answer, his eyes slowly looking around before settling back on you.

“It could be considered so.”

You shrugged your shoulders then, and looked up at the sky, “Weird.”

He was a bit quicker to speak this time, but not by much, and a smile slowly settled on his face, “I suppose you’re right.”

After that, you both were content to sit in silence. You because there was so much to see around you, and he… You didn’t quite know why he was quiet, but you enjoyed being near him. It would have been very lonely here, despite the beauty around you, if you’d been alone. Just by him being there, you felt almost at home, like you were basking in sunlight on the stones near where you were playing. The warmth was pleasant, and he seemed to agree. Not with words, but just by how relaxed he was.

But then, you could feel pain returning in your limbs slowly, and though you tried to will it away it only got stronger over time. With a deep frown you looked over at the man.

“I… I think I’m waking up.”

He had been watching the canyons, but upon hearing your voice, turned back to you, quicker than before. Like he’d finally gotten used to responding. And though his face was as still as stone, you could almost feel sorrow radiating from him. “I suppose this is farewell then.”

“I guess,” you replied, hugging your knees and trying to fight through the pain. “I hope we cross paths again.”

This seemed to amuse him, but didn’t lessen the sadness pouring off him. “Perhaps, if the winds are kind.”

Recognizing your people’s way of saying goodbye comforted you, but you couldn’t keep your eyes open any longer. Before you felt yourself completely wake up, you whispered the rest of the phrase, “May Titan will the earth not to move.”

Then you opened your eyes as if you’d only blinked, and you were cold. Everything still hurt, and you couldn’t move even your fingers. Tears fell freely, and you couldn’t stop the sobs from leaving your throat as every sensation rushed back to you. And crying only hurt your body all the more. It was a vicious cycle. One you couldn’t escape. You couldn’t even think. There was no relief, and you were so far in the earth, you could see the stars.

You tried to focus on them, anything to distract from the pain, but it didn’t work as well as you would have liked. Hours passed unbeknownst to you, and it had nearly been a day and a half since you’d fallen. You thanked all the gods when you felt exhaustion creeping back up on you. You had started to shake at some point. Barely there trembles, but it hurt all the same. You closed your eyes and prayed for relief.

And once again, when you next opened your eyes, you found yourself in the same place. This time though, the man seemed to be sleeping against a rock. Rather than wake him, especially since you wouldn’t want anyone to wake you while you were asleep right now, you clambered on top of the rock and tried to feel the sun on your skin as much as you could. Maybe you could remember how the warmth felt when you next woke.

You didn’t know how long you sat there, but eventually you felt eyes on you, and looked down at the man. He was looking up at you unblinkingly, with the same flat expression. But his eyes were confused. You kind of liked that about him, that his eyes were so clear. You’d never seen anything like it before. For a few moments, you both stared at one another, until you tilted your head at him, wondering just how long he’d been staring at you.

“You’re… back.” He said, slow, almost in disbelief.

You nodded and then asked, “Do you ever wake up?”

He pondered over your question and you went back to impersonating a sunflower, keeping your face turned toward the sun. When he spoke was the only time you looked away from its rays. He had gone back to staring into the distance but seemed to enjoy your company all the same.

“If I wish.”

That was curious.

“Can you control when you wake up?”

He nodded his head slowly, and then looked up at you, “Sometimes. Though, I haven’t been able to wake up for a long time.”

His answer made you sad, and though you wished not to wake up, you also wouldn’t want to be stuck here unwillingly, especially alone. “Do you ever get lonely?”

At this question, he answered almost immediately. “The only thing here is loneliness really.”

But then he looked away from you, as though embarrassed, “Though, less so these past few days.”

“That’s good,” You smiled at him before likewise looking into the distance. “Its nice here. But places are always nicer with others, right?”

“Wise words.” He said, and you beamed down at him. You both returned to silence then, and while normally it would bother you, you found that with him you didn’t mind it. It was peaceful just to be near one another.

You didn’t say that you wished you could stay with him.

~

You passed the time like this, split between the dream and pain. You soon learned that any question you asked, he would answer in that slow way of his. It was soothing to listen to. And as time passed, you found that when you were awake, the pain was lessening, though you still couldn’t move. It allowed you to think. And since there was nothing else to do but think during the times you were awake, you’d think of questions.

“Why do we have stars?”

“When they were children, someone made the Glacian cry. To cheer her, Ifrit took her tears and made them glow. He then cast them into the sky.”

“Do rocks have memories?”

“The ones who’ve been touched by a living being do. Others slumber beneath the grass, never to wake.”

“How do the flowers grow to be so colorful?”

“The flowers like to show off when they can. Except the Hibiscus flower. They’re very modest despite their beauty.”

~

Eventually, four days after you fell, when you came into the dream, it was raining. You didn’t like it, but the rain was warm, and you knew even rocks needed water. So you chose not to comment on the weather. Instead you found your way over to your friend. He seemed more solemn than usual, and stared up at the sky unblinkingly.

“Why does it rain in dreams?” You asked, looked up at the sky as well.

The man didn’t turn to face you this time, but did answer. “Because sometimes the dreamer feels sad, and there’s no place else for them to put their sadness.”

The answer troubled you, and you decided to go and sit beside him instead of on top of the rock. He tensed up, as if he was surprised that you had gotten so close, but you didn’t move. Out of respect normally you would have, but for some reason in the dream this time, you felt tired. He eventually relaxed, and didn’t mind that your arms were touching. He didn’t even twitch when you couldn’t keep your head up anymore, and leaned against him.

“Hey… Can I ask a question?” You felt hazy, and for some reason, knew that this wasn’t normal. And some part of you knew that this would be the last time you were in the dream.

“Of course, Son of Eos.” He answered kindly, this time putting an arm around you to make you more comfortable.

You wanted to say that your mother’s name wasn’t Eos, but that didn’t seem important right then for some reason. Instead as you began to drift off to what felt like sleep, you asked, “Is this your dream? Or mine?”

You didn’t get to hear his answer, as you slipped away.

For a brief moment, you woke up you think. Your eyes opened to the place you’d fallen, like someone had blown out a candle, and the candle was the dream. You felt nothing but peace. And from above you, flower petals fell from the cliffs high above. You wondered if it was your family saying goodbye to you. It was a sad thought, but not for you. You didn’t want to be the cause of your family’s sorrow.

Then, just like in the dream, you could feel yourself beginning to slip away once more. A final rest you thought. But right before you closed your eyes, the ground around you rumbled. If you had been more aware of what was going on around you, you would have been scared. But you just didn’t have the energy to be. The rocks next to you shifted, and while your eyes were still open, you could see one giant eye begin to open.

The color of the eye was golden, and it made you smile before you vanished. And as soon as you were gone, the eye closed once more.

~

The man opened his eyes back up into his dream. And in his hands, he clutched an orb of light tightly to himself. He dared a peek at the light and watched as if fluttered between bright and dim. His face was passive, but he wanted nothing more than to keep the light with him. At the back of his mind, something echoed. Like someone was strumming strings, there were vibrations in the darkness that beckoned.

His mother wasn’t happy.

“Just… allow me this one selfish request. I’ll hold the meteor till the end of myself if you want me to without any more complaints. Just allow me this.” He whispered to it, watching as the void tried to tug on the light in his hands. Compared to her, he was young, and she could deny him if she truly wished, and he’d still be forced to hold up the Meteor.

But then, just like that, the tugging stopped, and the light began to swell. It grew brighter and brighter, and anyone else would have been forced to look away. But he’d seen the light of creation when it’d colored his eyes, and he could bear any light because of it. The light, your soul, soon took the shape of you once more. And soon enough, the light died down, leaving you sleeping with your head in his lap.

The man, Titan, could feel nothing but relief then. Though you were young, and had passed from the mortal realm, you had been allowed to stay. Worthy of being a messenger in the eyes of the Archeaen and Etro. He hoped that you wouldn’t find the god selfish for keeping you. It’d just been so long since he’d had a friend.

But then, you opened your eyes. And the moment you saw him staring down at you, you smiled up at him.

~

Your family had tried to think of anything to save you. But there was no way to reach such a place. With how far you’d fallen, they could do nothing. So they held a sending of the soul ceremony for you, allowing the petals of your favorite flower to drift on the winds down to where they thought your body lay. They hadn’t expected what happened next.

The earth shook and they all had to step back from the edge, lest they follow you to your fate. Most ran away in fear, but those that stayed witnessed the very earth moving. And when it stopped, you lay on a stone table before them. At peace, and with the flower petals resting on you. But there, above your head, was the mark of Titan. It was believed that Titan was so moved by their grief that he returned your body to them. But the truth of it was, he felt that he owed them a debt for not being able to return you sooner.

Everyone though, was comforted by the fact that you were believed to be in the care of Titan, an honor for your afterlife. And as time passed even further along, even when you were forgotten, you stayed by his side, inquisitive and patient with your friend. And his dream were never lonely after that.

**Author's Note:**

> Leave a comment if you liked this! Or come bug me on Tumblr. If you have prompts for this AU I'd love to hear them!


End file.
